Touch of the Feared
by Tacoko
Summary: Evra Von was a nice kid. He was sweet and kind, but Ray just couldn't get over her fear of him.
1. Chapter 1: The Cirque Du Freak

**_Hello all~ If you clicked on this, then that must mean that you are looking for a good, fun Cirque Du Freak fan fiction! Well, you can just click on the back button and look somewhere else! -SHOT-_**

_**-10 minutes later-**_

**_Okay okay. I was kidding. .\_**

**_HI! :D This fan fic was a result to a plot bunny raping my brain for the past two days! I simply ADORE the Cirque Du Freak series by Darren Shan and I am waiting to get my pay check so I can buy the second box set. I MUST HAVE IT! -cough- So anyway..._**

**_This is a Evra Von X OC fic because well...I dunno. Evra Von is just my favorite character in the series... ._. _**

**_Anyway, just please, give it a read and if you like it, just drop me a review and tell me so! I accept good, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and flames will be used to roast my marshmallows tonight. So...let's get this show on the road..._**

**Summary:** Ray is just your normal, average homeless teenager who attended the Cirque Du Freak with her friend one night. Deathly afraid of snakes, she feinted at the sight of the last performer and winds up in the care of the Cirque. Offered a place in the Cirque, she becomes friends with one Darren Shan, but is afraid of his snake-skin best friend. Guilty of her fear of him, she tried to be friends, but how can someone as physical as Ray be a friend to someone who she is afraid to even shake hands with?

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has come out of the wonderful mind of Darren Shan. All I own are the OCs here and the little plot that has developed._**

Chapter 1: The Cirque Du Freak

Diana, or Ray, as she liked to be called, stared at the brown haired girl in front of her. The girl was grinning broadly, her green eyes closed. Her hair was long, tousled because of the winds of the city. Ray gave the girl a blink before looking down at the two tickets in her hands. It was around noon in the small city, but the shading of the alley way was made by the tall buildings that blocked out the sun s light. Ray was still able to look at the tickets while her brain tried to wrap around what the brown haired girl had just told her.

"You bought tickets for the Cirque Du Freak?" Ray didn't know much French, but she could probably guess correctly that it meant Circus of Freaks, or something along those lines.

"Uh huh!" The girl nodded her head and she opened her eyes to look at the shorter girl clad in ripped clothing. "I found a flier on the way home yesterday and I thought it would be fun if the two of us went together! I bought the tickets as soon as I looked over the flier. And trust me, it wasn't easy."

Ray looked at the girl, a small grin on her face. Her blue eyes were shining with excitement. "Oh you know I am in. When is it?" She started to scratch at her arm, which was covered in days of dirt and grime.

"Tonight." The girl answered simply.

Ray stopped her scratching and gave the girl a surprised and upset look. "Tonight?! Sally, you know I can't-"

"You will!" Sally demanded. "You can't just sit the night mourning the deaths of your parents! It's not healthy!"

"But I always mourn! Every year on this date. I just can't-"

Sally interrupted her again. "Your parents wouldn't want you to be sad every time you think of them! They would want you to live your life! Even if you're homeless, at least you re still alive." Sally's green eyes stared firmly into Ray's blue ones. "I can t believe you won t even go to the police."

"The police? Screw the police! Hell, screw the whole damn system. They didn't do shit for my parents!" Ray said angrily. She noticed the cringe Sally had when Ray cursed and she sighed. She looked at the tickets in her hands and she sighed again.

"Please Ray. Just have some fun. You won't regret it." Sally gave Ray huge pleading eyes and Ray immediately gave in. Sally had done wonders for Ray, she could at least do this for her.

"Alright, alright, Sal. I ll go-WAH!"

Soon as Ray said that she will go, Sally had grabbed Ray by her wrist and she sprinted out of the alley way and into the sidewalk. "Awesome! Now, let's go home so you can get ready! There is no way that you'll go anywhere with me looking like an urchin off the streets!"

"I AM an urchin off the streets!" Ray yelled back, laughing along with Sally as they ran down the side walk. Ray really was looking forward to seeing the Freak Show. Of course, it's all going to be fake, but she knew that she would enjoy it all the less.

What she didn't know, was how wrong she was.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Later that night, Ray and Sally had arrived at the old, abandoned theatre that stood at the edge of the city. Sally had made the excuse to her parents that she was staying with her friends at a slumber party. Ray had told her cardboard box that it better be there when she gets back, or she'll be pissed.

More pissed off than she was at the moment. Sally had forced her into a green dress and a pair tan colored Uggs. She honestly had no idea why Sally told her to wear that combination of dress and shoes. She looked like a walking contradiction with the winter boots and the summer dress.

It was the dress that Ray was pissed about. She hated dresses. She felt like it can give a creeper easy access. She shivered at the thought. Ray was grateful though. She was clean with her fair skin contrasting with the green of the dress and she felt ten pounds lighter with all that dirt and grime washed from her hair. Her hair, which reached her shoulders, was dry and felt silky. She loved that feeling.

The two had walked in through the front doors of the dark theatre and Ray felt a chill run through her spine._ 'Why is the Cirque being held in such a creepy place?' _Her thinking was interrupted by something HUGE walking out of the shadows. Sally shrieked, backing up until she bumped into Ray. Ray put her hands on Sally's shoulders, trying to get her to calm.

"May I help you two ladies?" The tall man asked, staring down the two teenagers. Ray had moved around Sally, putting the girl behind her and she stared that tall man in the eye.

"We're here to see the Cirque Du Freak," she told him, not giving any excuses to why two teenage girls were standing in an old theatre when they should be doing each other s hair.

The tall man seem to ponder at the moment before he held his hand out. "Alright then. Tickets please."

Then Ray fished out the two tickets from inside the boots and she handed them to the tall man. He took them from her hand and he ate them!

Ray blinked and she turned and gave Sally a bewildered look. "Well, that isn't weird." she muttered to Sally, who nodded.

"Not as weird as what you two ladies are about the see. Please, walked straight to the theatre and take your seats. We will be beginning shortly."

Ray immediately began to walk forward, followed by Sally who gave the tall man a thank you.

"Wow..." Sally trailed off when they walked into the theatre. It was around half full with people, obviously here to also see the Cirque. The lights in the theatre were dim, giving the room a dark, creepy atmosphere. What made it more creepier was the old fashioned design of the theatre. Though creepy, both Ray and Sally found it beautiful.

Ray felt a rush of excitement and she grinned at Sally. "Come on! Let's find some seats in the front!" Ray rushed down the aisle of the seats all the way to the seats by the stage. Fortunately, there were two extra seats left for them to seat. "Awesome! We re right at the middle! This is going to be awesome!"

As soon as Ray said that, there was the sound of trumpets. Ray and Sally sat up straight in their seats as the trumpets grew louder and then, the lights went out. Ray could feel Sally clutch at her hand, but she almost didn t take notice. Ray was too excited to get scared now. The trumpets stopped and a green light shone on the stage. Two men came out, carrying a cage covered with a large sheet. It was set down and after a moment, the sheet was pulled off, revealing

"The Wolf Man..." Sally muttered, her jaw dropping.

Screams were heard about the theatre as Ray s jaw dropped as well. "Holy Mother of God..." she whispered to herself.

The Wolf Man was snarling out of the cage, shaking the cage and she let out a loud roar. Ray jumped and she heard Sally scream, along with some others. Soon enough, The Wolf Man had calmed down and the tall man made his way on stage.

He introduced himself as Mr. Tall (Ray gave him a blank look, though he probably didn t see it) and he went on about the Cirque Du Freak, explaining that the freaks that they were to se were indeed real, some even dangerous. Some of the attendees had left the theatre upon Mr. Tall s warning.

Mr. Tall left and two pretty, and curvy (much to Ray s annoyance) women came out. They opened up the pad lock to the cage and the Wolf Man made his way out. The grip Sally had on Ray s hand tightened, but she stayed where she sat.

One of the woman did a movement with her fingers and the Wolf Man seemed to be hypnotized.

"Please, keep quiet." The other woman told the crowd. "The Wolf Man will not hurt you under the hypnotizing control, but one noise could possibly be deadly to ALL of us!"

Ray shuddered and the two woman started to lead The Wolf Man up and down the aisles. Ray was ecstatic that they were able to touch him, if they were gentle, and she gave The Wolf Man a pet, much to Sally's horror.

Soon, The Wolf Man was back into his cage and he was snarling and growling soon after. The cage was carried off by the two same men who brought it on the stage and the two woman also left the stage.

The rest of the show was indeed, a huge shock for Ray and Sally. All of these people! Alexander Ribs, with his skeleton like structure, and Rhamus Twobellies, who Ray watched him horror and fascination as he ate forks and spoons! It was too much for her, yet she did not want to leave.

The Bearded Lady had fascinated Ray. She was beautiful and that beard of hers, when she grew it out, couldn't even be cut by anything! And it looked so soft and silky. Ray was jealous. She wished that she had nice soft hair.

Hans Hands had been a hoot for Ray and Sally. He was the favorite already. Then, Mr. Tall came out and he introduced them to the next act, which was Mr. Crespley and Madam Octa.

The performance with the huge spider had to be the craziest, in Ray s eyes. She would never forget such a performance. The spider was crawling all up on Mr. Crepsley face while a boy that was younger than Ray and Sally played a flute. Ray shook her head in disbelief.

There were two more performances after Mr. Crespley and Madam Octa. Gertha Teeth had her indestructible teeth that can bite through anything. Sive and Seersa were twin contortionist that wrapped themselves around each other and performed other things.

After the twins, Mr. Tall came out and he thanked the attendees for coming and he dismissed them. Soon, the people started standing to make their way out of the theatre when there was a collective gasp then some screams.

Ray and Sally stood and looked around to see what was up. Upon a glance at the high balcony above the entrance, Sally let out a fearful gasp. "Ray...don't look up..."

Ray gave Sally a glance and looked in the direction of the balcony and she blanched. At the sight of the huge, scaly snake slithering down towards the crowd, all breath had caught up in Ray s chest. Her body filled with terrible fear and she swayed, turning a bit. The last thing she saw was a strange looking boy before her vision went dark and she fell in a slump to the ground.

~End~

_**._. Yeaaaaah~ Um, how was that? It's only the first chapter so...it won't be as good as the rest of the fan fic that I'm planning...So PLEASE! Give me a review! Tell me what you think. I accept all forms of criticism! :D **_


	2. Chapter 2: Goodbye, My Friend

_**Hello again, all! I just want to thank those that reviewed for the first chapter! They motivated me to type out the second chapter and I hope that I do not disappoint any of you! So please, without further ado..**_.

**Summary:** Ray is just your normal, average homeless teenager who attended the Cirque Du Freak with her friend one night. Deathly afraid of snakes, she feinted at the sight of the last performer and winds up in the care of the Cirque. Offered a place in the Cirque, she becomes friends with one Darren Shan, but is afraid of his snake-skin best friend. Guilty of her fear of him, she tried to be friends, but how can someone as physical as Ray be a friend to someone who she is afraid to even shake hands with?

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has come out of the wonderful mind of Darren Shan. All I own are the OCs here and the little plot that has developed._**

Chapter 2: Goodbye, My Friend

With a grunt, Ray turned around to her stomach on the bed that she was laying on, trying to get whatever bright light that was shining off her face. She pulled the pillow over face, grunting again before closing her eyes again.

Whoa…HOLD THE PHONE! Why the hell is she laying in a bed?! With a jolt, Ray sat up on the bed and she looked around her surroundings quickly. There were a couple cots lined up against the wall and she, upon closer inspection, found herself also sitting on a cot. She noticed a couple regular medical objects like latex gloves, a stethoscope and a first aid kit.

"How did I end up here?" she asked herself, standing up fully. She raised her eyebrows at the pair of Uggs and the dress she wore. "Maybe one of those church nuns found me and took me in…" she said, walking to the door at the other side of the room. She opened the door and she took a step out.

"Wha-WHAT THE HELL?!" she yelled, quickly taking in the scene. Colorful tents were set up and there were people bustling about. A guy who looked WAY too skinny for his health strolled on by, and that was when she remembered.

'_Oh! The Cirque Du Freak!' _she said, pressing her fist against her palm. Now she remembered. She fainted after she saw the giant snake.

Giant snake…

**_GIANT SNAKE!_**

Before she can get herself in a mode of panic, Mr. Tall made his appearance. "I see you are doing well, Diana."

Ray gave Mr. Tall a look. "How did you know my name?" she demanded.

"Ah, your friend Sally told me after the show." Mr. Tall answered, taking a look over the girl. "You gave her quite a scare. We told her that you can rest over the night."

"Oh…" Ray began, rubbing her head. "Thanks, I guess. But where is Sally?"

"She had to leave you here. She told me that her parents would be expecting her home."

Ray nodded, feeling a bit awkward. Was Mr. Tall going to ask about her parents. What if he knew she was homeless and was going to turn her in?

"I know you must be hungry. Come on, I'll show you to the breakfast tent." Mr. Tall offered, pressing a hand on Ray's back to lead her to her right.

At the sound the word breakfast, Ray's stomach let out a growl. She was starving! With a sheepish grin, she let Mr. Tall lead her way. Ray noticed that the tents and trailers were set behind the old run down theatre. They had no risk of exposure because no one ever came down that area. Ray had to guess that shows like this weren't exactly legal.

Ray was in awe of all the freaks she saw. There were some she hasn't even seen perform! And everyone looks so happy! She wished that they would never get caught because their happiness will be taken away.

"Well, here you are Diana. Please enjoy your breakfast." Ray heard Mr. Tall say.

Ray turned her head to give Mr. Tall a thanks, but he was gone already. She blinked, shrugged and she made her way into the breakfast tent. All eyes were on her and Ray felt a sudden way of nervous-ness and self consciousness.

"Hey! It's that girl who fainted during Evra's act!" yelled out the really skinny man, whose name was Alexander Ribs. "Glad to see you're doing better. Hurry and grab some food and take a seat."

Ray gave Alexander Ribs a wide eyed look before going to the breakfast table. Her hands were shaking a bit, her feeling a bit overwhelmed. Who the hell was Evra? Was that the snake's name? She cringed and pictured the snake clearly in her mind. She dropped the spoon she was holding and it would have dropped to the floor if it wasn't for a hand suddenly reaching out and grabbing it.

"You should keep a better grip on the utensils." said a boy, younger than Ray.

"Hey! You're that boy that was with Mr. Crespley and Madam Octa last night." Ray said, surprised at how young he was. He couldn't be any older than twelve!

"Heh, yeah. My name is Darren Shan by the way." he introduced himself, sticking his hand out for a shake. He had a kind smile on his face. His hair was dark as well has his eyes.

Ray smiled back at him and took his hand. "And I'm Diana. But you can just call me Ray."

Darren went to stacking some food on his plate and he asked: "Why the nickname Ray?"

"It was my dad's name." she answered with a final tone. She had finished pulling up a mountain of food on her plate and she turned. She felt Darren touch her shoulder and she looked at him.

"Come on. You can sit with Alexander and the others with me." he said.

Ray followed Darren to the table where Alexander Ribs and Dear Lord! The Bearded Lady! Darren and Ray sat down, with Ray sitting across from the Bearded Lady and Darren sitting across Alexander Ribs.

"Ah, hello." Alexander greeted. "I am Alexander Ribs. You were in the front seat last night." He stuck out a boney hand and Ray gently grabbed it. She felt like if she grabbed too tightly that it'll break.

"My name is Ray…and yes I was." she answered him.

"Ray huh? Interesting. And this here is Truska. But you know her as The Bearded Lady."

Truska let out some weird noises from her mouth and she hand out her hand. Ray shook her hand, noticing that Truska was indeed, very beautiful.

"Ah, nice meeting you…"

Breakfast went on smoothly. The four of them got along pretty well and Ray managed to make nice with some of the other members of the Cirque. They were all very nice to her and friendly, the lot of them asking her if she felt alright after her fainting.

"Hey Evra! About time you made it!" Darren shouted to whoever walked into the tent. Ray was too busy stuffing her face to notice, or care. She noticed a movement across from her and figured that Truska was making her leave. She noticed someone else sitting in Truska place and Ray looked up with a grin on her face to greet the person.

At one look, her grin immediately fell. He looked to be her age and he sat in his seat with nothing but a pair of shorts on. But that wasn't the problem.

Ray started to shake and she heard Darren say something, but her fear was too great for her to comprehend.

He had scales all over his body, like skin. They were green, blue, yellow and gold and his eyes were narrow like a snake. They were staring at her with curiosity and her shaking had increased.

"Hey…Ray I said-" Darren began but was cut off by Ray bolting out of her seat and sprinting out of the tent with all speed. She weaved in between the Cirque members and workers, not really knowing where she was going.

She stopped after a minute and she fell to her knees, wiping the tears away from her face with shaking hands. Her breath was ragged and she tried to calm her breathing. Those scales…just like a snake…the one animal that she fears the most.

"Ray?"

Ray bolted to her feet. Sally was standing in front of her with a large duffle bag in her hands. Ray looked around. They were standing just by the edge of the Cirque's settlement. She can here the members and the workers bustling about.

"Are you okay?" Sally asked, dropping her bag and giving Ray a brief hug. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

Ray shook her head. "No, worse."

It seemed to click in Sally's mind and she made an O shape with her mouth. "Oh…you must have met Evra."

Ray nodded and she took a deep breath, trying to get his eyes out from her mind. It wasn't working.

Sally went on. "Are you okay though? Did you eat breakfast?" she asked, holding Ray's hand.

Ray nodded again. "Yeah. They took good care of me. And the food here is amazing." She looked at the duffel bag on the ground and raise an eyebrow. "What's with the bag? You moving?" she asked, thinking nothing of it.

Sally fidgeted. "Well…"

Ray froze in her spot and her blue eyes went wide with disbelief. "W-what?"

Sally bit her lip and nodded sadly. "My parents knew about the Cirque. They made it so I found the flier because they knew I was going to take you with me. They uh…" Sally swallowed and she had tears in her eyes. "They hate the fact that I made friends with you. They want to move me away because they think I shouldn't associate with…" she trailed off, tears falling from her eyes.

Ray too, had tears her eyes. "With what?" she demanded, a bitter tone in her voice. She knew that Sally's parents had huge sticks up their asses but…

"With disgusting scum…" Sally said quietly. She burst into tears and she hugged Ray tightly. "You are the only true friend I have!" she cried out. "You like me for who I am and not who my parents are. I love you so much, Diana Banks!"

Tears poured from Ray's eyes and she hugged Sally back tightly. "Thank you so much…" Ray whispered in Sally's ear. "For everything. I would have died if it weren't for you. I love you too, Sally."

Sally sobbed and she dropped to her knees, bringing Ray with her. She grabbed the duffle bag and she opened it. "There is a blanket and a pillow in here. I put some sweaters and some pants in here too with some socks and a pair of sneakers. There is a brush and some hair ties in there too, as well as soap and shampoo. In-case it rains."

The two laughed lightly. Ray was one to go out and let the rain wash off the dirt and grime from her body and hair.

"There's a towel in here and…I put some money in there for some food…"

"Oh Sally…I love you." Ray hugged Sally to her again. The two girls stood up and Sally gave Ray a sad, watery smile.

"My parents are jerks. But I will try to visit you…" Sally said. She checked her wristwatch and sighed sadly. "I have to go…"

Ray nodded and the two hugged again. As the two separated, Ray gave Sally a kiss on her lips. Sally covered her lips with her hand in shock and Ray was grinning brightly. "That's thanks for all you have done."

Sally shook her head. "You thank me by stealing my first kiss. Only you, Diana." The two hugged again and Ray watched as Sally walked back to the old theatre. She would wipe away any tears that would threaten to fall.

"You have a true friend there, Diana."

Ray let out a loud shriek and spun around to face Mr. Tall. "What the hell!? Don't scare me like that!" she yelled, clutching her heart.

Mr. Tall let out a chuckle. "I apologize, Diana." Ray let out a mumble and he chuckled again. "Are you homeless, Diana?"

Ray nodded, picking up the duffle bag and hoisting it over her shoulder. "Yes. And I should be going to my box now. Thank you so much for the help. I really appreciate it." She gave Mr. Tall a bow and she turned around to move forward only to be stopped by Mr. Tall's hand landing on her head.

"How about you stay here in the Cirque? You'll have a place to sleep, food to eat. And you won't be alone."

Ray stood still. Those months before Sally were really lonesome. After the death of Ray's parents, she had lived completely alone in the dark streets. Maybe going to the Freak Show was a good thing…

Ray turned and she gave Mr. Tall a huge grin. "Oh, you know I'm in."

~End~

**_There is chapter 2! I hope you all enjoy! Please review and tell me what you think! Remember! Constructive Criticism!_**


	3. Chapter 3: Just Get Over It, Dammit

_**Hello everyone! I wanna thank those who reviewed the second chapter. I know this update took a lot longer but I started my Spring semester in college so that kinda got in the way. But hey, it's the weekend! So here is your update!  
**_

**Summary:** Ray is just your normal, average homeless teenager who attended the Cirque Du Freak with her friend one night. Deathly afraid of snakes, she feinted at the sight of the last performer and winds up in the care of the Cirque. Offered a place in the Cirque, she becomes friends with one Darren Shan, but is afraid of his snake-skin best friend. Guilty of her fear of him, she tried to be friends, but how can someone as physical as Ray be a friend to someone who she is afraid to even shake hands with?

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has come out of the wonderful mind of Darren Shan. All I own are the OCs here and the little plot that has developed._**

Chapter 3: Just Get Over It, Dammit

"You look nervous." Mr. Tall said to Ray inside of his trailer. Ray was indeed nervous. Knowing that she would live among…the different would make anyone nervous. She had nothing against them; they were nice people and very friendly, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she didn't belong there.

Mr. Tall smiled. "You do not need to worry yourself; you will find a wonderful place here."

Ray blinked. "Oh…alright…" she bit her lip and she fiddled with the straps of the duffle bag that Sally had given her. "Um, where do I sleep?"

"I have already made accommodations for you. Seeing as you are still young, we placed a tent next to Evra and Darren's tent. I'm sure you'd feel a lot better among those your age."

Ray blinked again and her mouth dropped. "Evra? You mean…the Snake-Boy?" She shuddered, and she felt her hands getting sweaty. "I don't like snakes…"

Mr. Tall nodded in understanding. "I see…" he began softly. "I just wanted to make things more comfortable for you, but I understand. Snakes do scare people sometime, and that is natural."

Ray shuddered again. Snakes…scared that crap out of her. After being attacked by one when she was just a young girl, she had always been afraid. But then a though came to her.

Snake Boy…

_Boy…_

He was a boy! A human being…

Ray felt a huge rush of guilt rush over her. She groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Oh God, I'm such a bitch." She whined. "I just ran away from him! He was trying to say hi and I just ran!" She groaned once more. She heard a chuckle and she gave Mr. Tall a dirty look. "Don't laugh at me."

"Diana, I can see you are a very kind person. " Mr. Tall said, smiling at the small blush on Ray's face. "But if I must, we can change the location of your tent."

"No! No! Let it stay there. I'll sleep there. Maybe I can become friends with Evra." She pictured the Snake-Boy and she squeaked, covering her eyes, shivering. "Maybe not…"

"How about you just start with just talking to him through the tents?" Mr. Tall suggested, amused.

Apparently, that was an amazing idea because Ray hopped up. "Yes! Wonderful!" she exclaimed. "TO THE TENTS!" She pointed out towards the door, determined.

It was then that a knock came upon the door. Upon Mr. Tall's answer, Darren came into the trailer and he sent Ray a smile. "You wanted to see me, Mr. Tall?"

"Yes Darren. I'm sure you've noticed the tent being set up next to yours and Evra's." At Darren's nod, Mr. Tall continued. "Well, Diana will be staying there."

Darren gave Mr. Tall a shocked look and looked at Ray. "She's staying here?"

"Gee, sounds like you don't want me too." Ray teased.

"No, no! It's not that, I mean…" he had a panicked look on his face and Ray started laughing.

"I was kidding!" she said, laughing. Darren was not pleased.

"Alright, you two, get along now." Mr. Tall shooed them out his trailer. "And Diana, please see me tomorrow morning."

Ray nodded and smiled. "Okay, Mr. Tall. Thank you so much."

Walking out of the trailer, Darren grabbed Ray's duffle bag and he started to lead her to where she would be sleeping. "So…why did you run away earlier?" he asked curiously, clearly meaning running away from Evra.

"Ah…I'm afraid of snakes…" she replied. "I guess I kind of panicked when I saw his snake skin…"

"Oh…" Darren trailed off and he gestured to a pair of tents. "The green one is ours, the purple is yours."

"Aw! The tent looks cute!" Ray said, walking into the tent. There was a hammock hanging with a pillow and a blanket set neatly inside of it. "Awesome! I get to sleep in a hammock! Must be better than the cold concrete."

"So you really were homeless?" Darren asked from the entrance of the tent. Ray turned to face him and she nodded. "Yeah…but I'd rather not talk about it…"

Talking about why she was homeless was a really trying subject for her. She can just see her parents' white, scared faces lying on the floor of their two story house. She still had nightmares about those faces.

"Oh! Hey Evra." Darren's voice interrupted her thoughts and she went rigid.

"Hey Darren. Um? What are you doing?" Evra's voice came from outside the tent. Ray gave Darren a weary smile and he returned it.

"I'm just showing Ray here her tent." Darren went outside the tent to talk to Evra. Ray dug into her duffle bag and she was shocked to find a photograph placed inside the folds of the pants Sally gave her. It was a picture of her and her parents when Ray was thirteen. They went to the water park the day they took the picture. Ray was standing in the middle, grinning at the camera with her tall father's hand on top her head and her mother's arm around her shoulders. It was a lot of fun hanging and having fun with them.

"I miss you guys…" she said to the picture, hugging it to her chest. She put the picture back into the bag and she pulled out the brush to brush out the mop on her head.

"Ray?" Darren peaked his head inside the tent. "Evra and I have some chores that we have to do. You'll be okay by yourself?"

Ray nodded. "I'll be fine! You go do what you have to do. I'm not going anywhere."

After Darren and Evra went off to do their chores, Ray sat in the middle of the tent and looked around. "Well hell. I have nothing to do," she deadpanned.

She stood and put the bag in her hammock before stepping out of the tent. She walked around aimlessly for a while, sometimes pulled into conversation by the other Cirque members. She met Cormac Limbs, who freaked her out at first when he bit his finger off.

"Ah! Dude! You bit off your own damn finger!" Ray shrieked. She noticed the members of the crowd laughing a bit and she scowled. "What the hell are you laughing at me for?"

"Take a look here!" Cormac cheered. Ray was shocked to see that the finger that Cormac bit off had grown back into place and he was wiggling his fingers.

"You…you're like a starfish!" Ray exclaimed. She was extremely fascinated. "That is so cool…"

"Hahaha!" Cormac bellowed. "A starfish! That's a first! I think you'll be an excellent addition to the Cirque."

Ray blushed and she smiled. "Ha! Sometimes I feel like I don't belong here."

"Nonsense! We all had that feeling one time or another. You're officially part of this huge family so perk up!"

"Okay, so shut up now." Ray was feeling embarrassed. Cormac laughed, slapping her on her back once.

"Okay okay, we'll leave you alone now." Cormac laughed, patting her on her head. Ray grumbled.

"I hate being short."

She made her way out of the crowd. She was pleased at her warm welcome. Ray was beaming brightly when she came upon a tent that was separated slightly from the rest of them. Her interest perked up and she crept up to the tent and she went inside. She gasped when she saw a cage which was occupied by a sleeping figure.

"It's The Wolf Man," she whispered, moving closer to the cage.

"You shouldn't do that."

Ray quickly turned around and she gave an audible squeak when she saw Evra and Darren standing with slabs of raw meat in their hands. Darren had a look of horror on his face.

"Ray, just calm down okay?" Darren advised, seeing her frozen body and her gaze fixated on Evra.

"No, no. I'm okay," she said, shivering slightly. She looked Evra older. He had yellowish green hair and his scales were really all over his body. She noticed that his fingers and toes were webbed as well and his eyes were narrow. He was just a boy…a boy with snake skin. Like a snake…

Darren looked over at Evra who looked very uncomfortable. He knew that she was afraid of snakes and more or less him, since Darren told him when they were feeding The Little People. Ray seemed to notice how uncomfortable Evra looked and she sighed.

"I…am sorry." She said, her voice quivered as she tried to look anywhere but at Evra. "You probably know that I am afraid of snakes and I don't so well around them. It's just, your skin-"

"Scares you."

Ray cringed. "Yes. I'm really sorry." And she sprinted out of the tent.

"God, I'm such a bitch."

-End-

_**Aw, poor Evra. Don't worry, honey! She'll get used to you. lol I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and HEY! If you have any ideas you want to run by me, tell me! We can talk it over! If you have any characters that you'd like to see make a small appearance, tell me as well! I like to get my readers involved somehow! 3**_

_**So please review!  
**_


	4. Chapter 4: Finally Getting Used To Him

_**WELL HAI! Aren't I the best because I updated so soon?! =D -shot- Okay so, yeah. Here is chapter four. I haven't gotten that many reviews for the last chapter and that makes me a sad Taco. Did I suddenly start sucking? ;.;**_

_**Well, Taco is pretty miffed right about now. I may sound a bit like I'm complaining but...if Meyer really does continue the Twilight series...I will freaking shoot myself.**_

_**You hear that? Is that...mooing? Oh yeah! IT'S THE MOOING OF THE DAMN CASH COW! For God's sake...STOP. You make vampires look bad, Meyer. Mr. Crepsley is NOT impressed.**_

_**Mr. Crepsley: -Not Impressed-**_

_**Alright so I'm done ranting here. Be happy. Now...I have...an obsession with Big Time Rush. xD I MIGHT want to start a fan fic because I have another idea in mah brain, but I dunno...**_

_**SO ANYWAY! Enough of my rambling. Please, continue with the reading.**_

**Summary:** Ray is just your normal, average homeless teenager who attended the Cirque Du Freak with her friend one night. Deathly afraid of snakes, she feinted at the sight of the last performer and winds up in the care of the Cirque. Offered a place in the Cirque, she becomes friends with one Darren Shan, but is afraid of his snake-skin best friend. Guilty of her fear of him, she tried to be friends, but how can someone as physical as Ray be a friend to someone who she is afraid to even shake hands with?

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has come out of the wonderful mind of Darren Shan. All I own are the OCs here and the little plot that has developed._**

Chapter 4: Finally Getting Used To Him

Ray grabbed at her hair and she shrieked. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" She paced in her tent, clearly angry at herself for running away, AGAIN. During her pacing Alexander Ribs poke his head in.

"Hey Little-Bit. You okay?" he asked.

Ray rounded on Alexander. "Did you just call me "Little"?!" she growled. She quickly dismissed it and continued to pull at her hair. Alexander blinked and he quietly slipped away. Left at her lonesome once more, Ray groaned and she sat herself down on the ground. "This sucks…"

~Later that night~

The sky was dark with the stars sparkling brightly in the sky. Dinner was being served to the members of the Cirque and they all ate around a fire, enjoying the meal with their friends. Ray was busy piling food onto her plate, her eyes gleaming. She sure as hell loved food. After getting her plate situated, she went over to the fire, where some members sat around on logs and chairs. Some were standing and talking amongst one another. It sort of reminded her of a campfire. Well, it probably was anyway. Ray sat herself beside Truska, who greeted her cheerfully. Ray smiled at Truska, and she silently made a vow to try and learn Truska's language.

"Little Bit! Glad to see you!" Alexander cheered from across the fire. He was sitting with Darren and Evra, the former waving at her. Evra gave Ray a small wave and she returned it, her hand shaking a bit.\

"You know, I might just have to kick your ass if you call me Little Bit one more time," Ray said to Alexander with a grin. Alexander stared at Ray for a quick second before he burst into laughter.

"I see you have yourself a short fuse, eh, Little Bit?"

"I'M **NOT** SHORT!" Ray yelled. She threw a piece of chicken at him and it hit his forehead. A bout of laughter erupted and Ray was covering her mouth to stifle her own laughter. "I thought I was going to miss you completely!"

"Naw, Little Bit! You nailed me!" Alexander retorted.

The laughter continued on. Soon, everyone's plates were empty and the members just lounged around until Alexander decided to put on a little show for them.

"I call this one…"Mary Had a Little Lamb." " Alexander said dramatically before he started to play the tune on his ribs. Ray cheered, clapping her hands. Truska had bumped shoulders with Ray and Ray noticed her pointing across the fire. Ray looked and saw Darren beckoning her over. Ray looked to Evra, who was smiling a bit and Ray took a deep breath. She gave Truska a smile before standing up and literally bouncing over to the two boys. "Hi!" she cheered happily, sitting at the empty spot beside Darren.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," Evra said, a bit cautiously. He was a bit surprised at the huge smile that Ray sent him.

"I'm having a ball," Ray replied. "This is all too great. If it weren't for Mr. Tall, I'd probably be sleeping in my little box right now."

"Smaller than you?" Darren asked with a grin. Ray shoved him, a small scowl on her face.

"I'm not short."

"Well lookie here, boys! It's our resident freak show!"

Ray turned around and she saw a group of five boys approaching the camp fire. They looked to be around her age, but they were HUGE with their broad shoulders and tallness. The smirks on their faces gave Ray a warning that they were up to no good. A frown crept on her face as the boys made their way around the camp and was shocked to see them approach Truska.

"She doesn't look like the Bearded Lady." One said.

"Trust me though, she is. She's freaking hot." Another said.

The first one grabbed Truska by her arm and made her stand. Truska struggled to get herself free from the grip. "Come on, babe. All we want is a good time," he said, with a sick smirk on her face.

"You let her go!" Ray yelled, standing up. She quickly noticed that Evra did just the same. Darren and Alexander were standing, ready to fight if they had to.

"…Is that a girl? She's wearing a dress."

"It's hard to tell. They could be a guy because her breasts…she has none."

Ray's eyebrow twitched and she ran, hopped over the fire which was dying out and she tackled the one holding Truska to the ground. Ignoring the calling of her name, Ray rolled off him and she quickly stood, kicking another one in between his legs swiftly. She smirked in satisfaction when he fell to his knees but she gasped when she was grabbed from behind, her arms being held behind her back.

"Let go!" she yelled. She noticed that Truska was being helped to her feet by Evra and Gertha Teeth. Darren and Alexander were approaching the standing boys. Ray gasped again when she felt something cool and sharp press against her neck.

"One step closer and this little freak gets it." The one holding Ray threatened.

"For God's sake, I'm a girl, you fucking ass!" Ray screamed, her anger way over the boiling point.

"A girl. By lack of the boobs, you might have tricked me to believing you're a weird little boy that likes to wear dresses."

"LITTLE?!" Ray raged, only to freeze when he ran a free hand over her chest, feeling up the small boobage she had under her dress.

Suddenly, she was dropped to the ground and a ear splitting scream filled the air, followed by an loud snap. Ray looked up and she lost breath at the sight of a large snake wrapping it's body around the guy's arm. She cringed at the snapping sound once again before she blacked out once again.

~*~*~*~*~

"Is she going to be okay?"

"She fainted before. She should be fine."

"Come on, Little Bit. Wake up."

"I'm not little…," Ray mumbled, her eyes fluttering open. She looked up to see the faces of Alexander and Evra. Her eyes went wide at Evra's face, but she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Okay so…that giant snake is way scarier than Evra. She can say that much.

"Good to see you're okay," Alexander said, helping Ray to her feet. They were still outside, but she noticed that the three of them were the only ones by the almost dead fire.

"Where is everybody?" she asked, whipping the dirt of the dress she wore. The dirt stained the dress and the Uggs she wore and she sighed.

"Well, Darren had to go with Mr. Crepsley somewhere. The man just came and whisked Darren away. Truska went to her tent, she was very upset." Alexander answered Ray.

Ray thought for a second; Mr. Crepsley was that one guy performing with Madam Octa. Now that she thought about it, she hasn't seen the man all day.

"Mr. Tall escorted the guys out, but not after The Little People wrapped up that one guys arm…um…" Evra looked embarrassed. He had obviously sent his snake out after the guy that was man handling Ray.

Ray figured it out and she smiled. "Thank you Evra…" and she fidgeted. Normally, she'll hug the hell out of anyone who has helped her but she couldn't. She can go on by talking with Evra, but touching in anyway er…no.

"You're welcome but…I'm sorry for making to faint again." Evra began but he stopped when Ray started waving her hand to dismiss him.

"No need, Evra. You were just trying to help but uh…how about a little warning next time you decide to have your snake come to my rescue?" Ray asked, smiling.

Evra smiled back and he stuck out his hand. He blushed at his mistake, putting his arm back down. Ray laughed lightly. After saying goodnight to Alexander, Evra and Ray made their way together to the tents. It was silent between the two, but Ray enjoyed the silence. It made her think, which was good for her.

Evra was just your regular boy; if you look pass his skin. Ray smiled to herself. She wasn't afraid of Evra, at least, not as afraid as she been before. She could tell that he was a nice person and she thought that he was pretty cute too. She giggled at the thought. Well, he is.

"He is what?" Evra asked, turning his head towards her a bit. Ray blinked and she blushed lightly. Ho crap, did she say that aloud?

"Er…nothing sorry. I was just thinking to myself," Ray answered, giving Evra a small grin. They both made it to the tents and they bid each other a goodnight. Ray stood in her spot and watched Evra go into his tent.

"Huh, Darren's not here yet…" Evra said. Ray smiled once more and she moved inside her own tent. She removed her bag from the hammock and she placed it by the hammock before climbing in. It took her a while to get used to the hammock but soon enough, she was lying comfortably in her hammock, a blanket draped over her small form and her head resting on the pillow. With a smile, she closed her eyes and fell quickly into a deep sleep.

~The next day~

It was around close to noon when the Cirque was packed up and ready to move on out. Whatever appointment Ray had that morning was canceled, due to the fact that the group of five teens had made quite a stir in the city. Everything was packed surprisingly fast and Ray was set to stay in a trailer with Darren, Evra, and a couple other Cirque members.

Ray looked out the window of the trailer, watching the scene go by. She could see the city growing smaller and she was reminded of the night she left her old city. She was used to having everything she wanted and then she went to having nothing to having something she longed for again: A home. With a bunch of freaks. And she means that with lots of love.

"Darren?" Ray called to the younger boy with a questioning look on her face. "Why do you look…guilty?" Darren was indeed looking like he's done a bad thing. He looked at Ray and he smiled lightly. "I'm fine," he answered simply. Ray and Evra exchanged shrugs and Ray went back to peering out the window.

Ray started to scratch at her arm and she looked at her arm tilting her head to the side at the small, healed cut on her inner arm. "Hm, wonder where that came from…" she said airily, putting her arm down and peering back out the window.

~End~

**_So yeah...looks like Darren feels a bit guilty about something...Hrrrrm. What could it be?_**

**_So, what did you guys think? Did you like it? Hate it? Wish I never written this? Come on, man! Be honest!_**

**_Also...Big Time Rush? I dunno. ._._**

**_Please review!  
_**


	5. Chapter 5: The Tears Didn't Dry Out

**_Yes, this chapter is early, yes? Well, that is what happens when one is stuck at her granny's house with no laptop. xDDD But yeah, I'm back at home with my wonderful internet. :3_**

**_So, you will notice that part of this chapter will seem a bit familiar. It is so because after looking through the previous chapters and checking the setting of the story, which is around a year after Darren joined the Cirque, it'd be perfect to make the setting during "Tunnels of Blood." I think it would be a wonderful to include Ray in the story and see what happens with the Vampaneze and all that. :3 ANNNND, yes. I have idea. :3_**

**_So, there you have it. :3 Let's get this show on the road!_**

**Summary:** Ray is just your normal, average homeless teenager who attended the Cirque Du Freak with her friend one night. Deathly afraid of snakes, she feinted at the sight of the last performer and winds up in the care of the Cirque. Offered a place in the Cirque, she becomes friends with one Darren Shan, but is afraid of his snake-skin best friend. Guilty of her fear of him, she tried to be friends, but how can someone as physical as Ray be a friend to someone who she is afraid to even shake hands with?

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has come out of the wonderful mind of Darren Shan. All I own are the OCs here and the little plot that has developed._**

Chapter 5: The Tears Didn't Dry Out After All

It has been around two weeks, at the Cirque had finally stopped at their destination. The next show was going to go on four days after they settled, and Ray was excited. She'd love to see the show once again, though it was better this time because she knew the members and she felt like she had a bigger part of it. It was morning when they made stop behind an old mill in a small town. Ray was preparing the breakfast, which had become her permanent job. She was to help the cooks prepare the food for the Cirque members, which she did not mind at all.

Her, Darren and Evra had become inseparable during those two weeks that they traveled. Ray was relieved to have become friends with Evra, finding nothing about the shy boy scary, nothing except his snake skin, and his snake. She wasn't quite used to it yet. It was obvious by the fact that when she tried to shake hands with him, she almost fainted. It was quite hilarious, to Darren that is.

After breakfast was ready, and the Cirque members were allowed to come and serve themselves, Ray was first in line, having bumped Alexander out of the first place in line.

"No fair, Little Bit." Alexander said, pushing her away from the first line.

"Hey, hey! I prepared the food! I get first dibs!" Ray protested, pushing Alexander out the way. The two stopped pushing at each other when Rhamus Twobellies came and took the whole serving of waffles from the tables. Ray and Alexander gave each other the same look before they both started running after Rhamus, yelling at him to give back the waffles.

After a wild breakfast, Ray was lugging around her folded up tent, looking for Darren and Evra's tent. It's been a few minutes of looking before she found the two boys putting up their own tent and she went to them.

"You guys, you left me." Ray pouted. "That's not cool."

Darren grinned at her and Evra gave her an apologetic grin. Ray only shook her head and she began working on her own tent. "The next show is in four days. You guys excited?"

"You know I am!" Evra exclaimed, grinning. "We're going to do great!" And by "we're", Ray knew that Evra was talking about his precious snake. Ray had never seen the large snake ever since she broke that one guys arm. He was practically molesting her in front of her friends!

"You know Mr. Crepsley and I are going to do great. Everyone loves Madam Octa." Darren said and Ray shivered. She met Mr. Crepsley once before, and he creeped her out. There was something about the man who seemed…off. She had a weird feeling about him, like he wasn't human. Madam Octa, on the other hand, was a whole other story! She LOVED the poisonous spider. She was so excited when Darren showed her the spider.

"Can't wait to see you two perform." Ray smiled.

It was four days after the Cirque settled at the mill and the show was going to start in a few hours at midnight. Things were already almost prepared and Ray was running all over the place, helping the other members set up. As the darkness came, Ray shivered, feeling the cold temperature. She had to change out of that dress…

Darren and Evra were out fetching food for the Little People, along with a Little Person named Lefty. The Little People made her feel a bit awkward, but she had no problem with them. She was coming out of her tent, in a pair of jeans and a sweater and sneakers. She walked around, checking if she was needed for anything, but was out of luck.

"Move!"

Ray stopped and she looked around, confused. She jumped when she heard another "Move!" and she rushed to the direction where the voice came from. She came upon the sight of Darren yelling "Move!" to a silver cross. She blinked, tilting her head to the side before she started walking away. She was just going to walk away and pretend she didn't see anything.

Ray shook her head, a bit confused and she made a turn, only to bump into someone. Before she could fall back, a pair of hands grabbed her by her arms to keep her steady. She sighed in relief at not falling on her ass and she looked at Evra, who was holding her arms.

Holding her arms…

And they were standing pretty close…she could see the color of his eyes…yellowish/ green eyes. They looked so pretty, she didn't even seem bothered that he was holding onto her.

"Are you okay?" Evra asked, a bit perturbed at her staring. "Um…Ray?"

"You have pretty eyes," Ray answered him, smiling.

Evra blinked, taking his hands from her arms. He was blushing, well, if it was noticeable he would be. "Uh uh…really?" he managed to choke out.

Ray nodded and grinned. "Yep. Thanks for catching me," she said, walking away, leaving the snake boy to stand there in a bit of a daze.

The show went on without distractions, and Ray felt a bit proud to see the show go on without fail. Darren did a great job on his own, though she was a bit confused on why Mr. Crepsley wasn't doing his act as usual. Regardless, Darren did a great job. She wish she could say the same for Evra's act, she had to turn away because she knew she would have a fit if she did.

After the show, Ray was sitting in her tent, just laying down on hammock. She stared up the walls of the tent, her mind just going over different things. She felt a bit embarrassed about what she said to him earlier, and her face went red. Evra did have pretty eyes, snake like, but for some reason, she loved them.

Her thinking was interrupted by Darren and Evra stepping inside. She sat up on her hammock, making room for the two of them to take a seat. They didn't sit down. They just stared at her and Ray raised her eyebrow at them. "Um…guys?"

"We're leaving." Darren said. "And we want you to come with us."

Ray blinked. "Wait…why are you leaving?" she asked, concerned. "Did something happen? What's wrong?"

Darren and Evra looked at each other and they seemed to be communicating by a mind link or something. They both looked back at her.

"Well, you see. Mr. Crepsley and I were going to go to a city, and he said that I could bring Evra along. We figured that we should bring you too." Darren explained.

Ray nodded, already decided to go with them as soon at Darren told her. But she knew that they had something else to tell her. "Anything else?"

Darren nodded. "Well…the thing is, Mr. Crepsley is well…he's a vampire." Darren admitted, and he looked at Ray to see what her reaction would be.

Ray blinked. Mr. Crepsley…a vampire? "Well, after all I have seen staying here at the Cirque, I believe you," she said calmly, without a care. "You think that's scare me or something?"

"Well, vampires do almost scare everyone," Evra answered her, with a small grin. "I guess you're not."

Ray shook her head. "Eh, not really," she said, standing up from the hammock. "So when are we leaving?"

"Well, we are leaving tonight, and I have to tell Mr. Crepsley that the two of your are coming before dawn." Darren nodded at Evra and Ray before getting out the tent, leaving the two teens alone.

"Well…" Ray began, after a long pause. "This should be fun, right?"

Evra smiled and nodded, before he frowned. "Darren forgot to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Well…Darren's a vampire too."

"…but how? He can walk out in the daylight."

"He's a half-vampire. He is Mr. Crepsley's assistant. He was turned into a half-vampire last year."

Ray stood there in silence, before something dawned on her. "He had a family…?"

"Yeah…my parents and my sister." Darren walked back into the tent and joined the two. "I had to leave them behind after I became a half-vampire."

Ray narrowed her eyes at Darren, a frown forming on her face. "Why?"

Darren seemed to be a bit nervous then, for he knew how high Ray's temper was. "Well…my friend Steve was poisoned by Madam Octa and I had to become half-vampire into to get the antidote from Mr. Crepsley."

Ray nodded at the explanation. So Darren wouldn't just leave his family behind for nothing. He had to save his friend from dying, though she was still upset. Darren pretty much lost his family, just like she did. "I see…I'm sorry to had to go through that…"

Darren sighed. "Yeah…" Darren seemed sad, and he turned and left the tent again, saying something about eating some pickled onions.

"Wow…that must be hard on him…" Ray said after Darren left the tent. She glanced at Evra and saw that he looked sad as well. "What's wrong?"

"Well…I can see how hard it is on Darren, having to lose his family. I know he's always thinking about them…his parents…"

Ray stared at Evra. Now that she thought about it…did Evra even have a family. He looked so sad hearing about how Darren had to leave his family, she wondered how he would feel when she tells him the reason she was homeless before. "How did you come to the Cirque, Evra?"

"…My parents abandoned me after I was born. They were so afraid of me, so they sent me to an orphanage. I grew up there, being teased by the other kids. Then…I was taken in by a circus owner, and he treated me just like a snake. He kept me locked in a small tank where people would point and laugh at me. He would beat me all the time. Then, one day, Mr. Tall came and he was just staring at me. He killed the circus owner and then he brought me here at the Cirque, probably the only place where I felt loved at all…" Evra looked up and he was shocked, and scared by the dangerously angry look on Ray's face.

"Those bastards…" she hissed angrily, pressing her fist against her mouth. "What kind of mother…" she trailed, off, too angry to even form a proper question. "I'm so sorry, Evra." she managed to finally say. "I am glad, and happy that you live in a place where they treat you good. Like a human, because you are human."

Evra gave Ray a watery smile, and that's when she saw that he was crying. "Oh! No! Please don't cry!" Ray exclaimed, rushing to him and grabbing his arm. As per usual, Evra had only a pair of pants on, so she could feel his scales against the skin of her hand. She quickly ripped her hand from her arm and she backed away from him, a disgusted feeling washing over her.

"I am so sorry." Ray whispered to him, staring at her hand, which had a couple of scales stuck to them. Her breathing became rougher and she closed her eyes. He's just a boy. Just a boy with pretty eyes and who is sweet and kind. His snake skin is nothing, it's nothing.

"I don't like it when you're afraid of me." Came Evra's voice and she snapped her eyes open to look at him, though she didn't see Evra standing there, she saw a man with wild black hair and darkly tanned skin. His shirt and skin was covered with blood and he was grinning wickedly at her.

"_Awwww, you're afraid."_

"_I don't like it when you are afraid of me."_

"_I didn't like it when your mother was afraid of me either, but at the same time, it was a huge turn on…"_

"_Come on, sweetheart. Your dear mother liked it, you'll like it too…"_

"Ray? Ray? What's wrong?!" Evra's voice seemed so distant against the pain filled wail that escaped Ray's throat as she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Ray!? Darren! Help me!"

-End-

**_I'm so damn dramatic, huh? But I like my drama, it's like my anti-drug. Evra is my drug. xDDDDD So please review! It gets me warm and fuzzy inside. 3_**


	6. Chapter 6: Anything Can Trigger The Pain

_**Hello again! I know this chapter is short but....yeah. xD Just enjoy it. You'll see more of why Ray is homeless and why the hell she freaked out at the end of the last chapter. I personally liked this chapter a lot, for some reason. Maybe because Mr. Crepsley greatness is in this one. xDDDD **_

**_PLEASE ENJOY! 8D_**

**Summary:** Ray is just your normal, average homeless teenager who attended the Cirque Du Freak with her friend one night. Deathly afraid of snakes, she feinted at the sight of the last performer and winds up in the care of the Cirque. Offered a place in the Cirque, she becomes friends with one Darren Shan, but is afraid of his snake-skin best friend. Guilty of her fear of him, she tried to be friends, but how can someone as physical as Ray be a friend to someone who she is afraid to even shake hands with?

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has come out of the wonderful mind of Darren Shan. All I own are the OCs here and the little plot that has developed._**

Chapter 6: Anything Can Trigger The Pain

_Ray was laying in her bed which was covered with a green sheet patterned with pink flowers. She had her math text book open in front of her and she was writing in her notebook the problems she had to finish for the next day. Her hair then was short and spiky in a tomboy-ish style, which conflicted with the girly sight of her room. She just so happened to love her room._

_She frowned when she heard a thumping down stairs, followed by a crash. She bolted from her bed and ran to her door and she shrieked when she heard a scream. It was her mother. Ray bolted from her room and down the hallway, reaching the stairs. She printed down the stairs and into the living room, and she was horrified at the sight._

_Her father was laying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, his long red hair mixing with the blood that gushed from his slit throat. Ray took a step back away from her father's body, her eyes wide. She looked around the living room and she saw her mother, who was dying slowly from the slit on her throat. There was a man mounting over her mother, and he was raping her dying body…_

"Ray, please! Stop crying!" Evra said desperately, torn at the sight of his friend sobbing into her hands. Her body was shaking violently and her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

Darren grabbed at Ray's wrists and she started shrieking at him, flailing her arms around to get out of his grip. "No! Don't touch me!"

"What is going on here?!" Came Alexander Ribs, followed by Cormac Limbs and Truska.

Evra was panicking, not sure on what to do. He, being the only one to successfully communicate with Truska, told the woman to get Ray some water. She quickly left the tent, cringing at the cries of the red head.

"Leave her alone! Don't touch her! Mommy! Mommy!"

"Ray! It's me, Darren! Snap out of it!" Darren shouted at Ray. She seemed to be in a whole other world. She would not stop screaming and crying, and she was still fighting her hold from Darren, who was holding her tightly by her arms then.

Truska came back to the tent with a picture of water and Evra quickly grabbed it from her. He then splashed the cold water on Ray and Darren, and that coldness seemed to snap her out of her terrifying flashback.

"Darren…?" she asked, looking at the younger boy with wide, blue eyes. She was shivering from the cold water. She looked around and she saw the worried faces of her friends and she moaned slight, covering her face. "I am so sorry!"

"Little-Bit…why were you freaking out?" Alexander asked. Cormac and Truska stood beside him, also wanting an answer.

"It's a problem I always had since…my parents were killed." That brought a bout of coldness into the small tent, but Ray continued. "Sometimes…I have hallucinations…I hear things, or I see things. This time…I saw the man who killed my parents. He…he uh…He was raping her…while she was dying…and he came after me and…"

"No! He didn't!" Cormac yelled, while everyone else froze. They were a bit relieved when she shook her head no.

"He tried…but I ended up running away. And I just on running, and running…and running…" Ray trailed off and she hugged her knees to her chest.

"But…what triggered this hallucination…?" Alexander asked softly. "When dealing with such a trauma, I have heard that even saying the wrong thing could cause one to happen."

Ray cringed, and so did Evra. Ray shook her head and sighed. "Just…I want to be alone…" she said finally. The troop took that as a sign and they filed out, casting her worried looks. She managed to give them all a thank you before they gone.

"Evra, wait." Ray said, before Darren and Evra could leave the tent. Evra nodded at Darren and he left. Ray sighed at the guilty look on Evra's face and she stood up, stumbling a bit, and she went to Evra. "Don't feel guilty…" she said, grabbing a lock of Evra's hair between her fingers.

"He said…he also told me that he did not like it when I was afraid of him…"

Evra cringed. "I'm so-"

"Shut it! I said it was not your fault." Ray exclaimed, giving him a stern look. Evra took a step back and Ray ran her hand over her face, taking a deep breath. "I will see you later, when we leave, okay? I'll be fine." she gave Evra a smile before shooing him out of the tent. Ray heaved a sigh and she laid herself on her hammock. Well great, just what she needed. A breakdown in front of her good friends. "Fuck my life." she muttered.

~Later~

Darkness had just came, and Ray, Evra, Darren and Mr. Crepsley stood just at the edge of the settlement and Mr. Crepsley was looking down at a grinning Ray.

"I never said you could come, Diana," he said to the girl.

Ray only grinned. "You're not the boss of me."

Darren snorted a laughed. "Please, Mr. Crepsely? I want her to come too."

"Me too." Evra said, glancing at Ray for a second before looking at the tall, scarred man.

Mr. Crepsley look over the three young ones and he sighed. "Very well, she may come." He rolled his eyes at the three. "How old are you, child? Twelve?"

Both Darren and Evra snorted in laughter as Ray gaped up at Mr. Crepsley. "I AM SIXTEEN!" she hollered.

"Really, giving your size, I would say you were Darren's age."

"I AM NOT SHORT, LEECH!"

That sent Darren and Evra into another fit of laughter as Mr. Crepsley stared at Ray bewildered. Darren had told him that Ray knew what the two of them were. He would think that she would be a bit more wary around them, and not dumb enough to insult a vampire.

"See, Mr. Crepsley? She would be a great person to bring with us," Darren said, grinning.

Mr. Crepsley shook his head and sighed. "Let us just go now. We are wasting time." he said.

After saying goodbye to Mr. Tall and the rest of the Cirque and they were on their way.

"Will you be able to carry the three of us when you flit?" Darren asked, and Ray raised an eyebrow at the word.

"Flit?" she mouthed to herself.

"I have no intention of flitting," Mr. Crepsley said.

"Then how are we supposed to travel?" Darren asked.

"Buses and trains," he answered simply. He laughed a bit that Darren's face. "Vampires can use public transportation as well as humans. There are no laws against it."

"I suppose not."

The four went into the town and to the train station and they waited for the train. While waiting, Ray looked over at Mr. Crepsley and at Darren. "Hey…you guys have fangs?" she whispered, in all seriousness.

Mr. Crepsley snorted and Darren grinned. "Does it look like it?" Darren asked. He blinked when Ray grabbed his face and pried his mouth open. "Then how do you drink blood?" she asked. Then she noticed the guilty look on Darren's face again and she frowned. Why the hell was everyone looking so guilty?

"Well…we cut the skin a bit, and drink from there," Darren answered in a whisper.

Ray thought back and remember the random, healed scar on her arm and she jumped back from Darren, staring at him with wide eyes. She was angry at him, more surprised and…okay, she was pissed off and she felt a bit scared. "Dude…" Ray whispered before she scowled at him. She figured there was a reason he had to do it. It was the night that those thugs came. Maybe the small town was being alerted by them and it wasn't safe for Darren to go and drink.

But still, Ray shuddered. Her friend had her blood. That was the creepiest thing in the world. Ray looked at Darren before reaching out and smacking the back of his head.

"Don't do it again."

~End~

**_Yeah, I know that it's short. I apologize for that, but hey, what the hell? xD I hope you all enjoyed and PLEASE! Review. 8D_**


	7. Chapter 7: A Meeting With the Past

_**Hello! It's about damn time that I updated, right? xD Well, I was busy with school and work so it put a damper on my time, but school is over, so I have more time! 8D I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I did. **_

**Summary:** Ray is just your normal, average homeless teenager who attended the Cirque Du Freak with her friend one night. Deathly afraid of snakes, she feinted at the sight of the last performer and winds up in the care of the Cirque. Offered a place in the Cirque, she becomes friends with one Darren Shan, but is afraid of his snake-skin best friend. Guilty of her fear of him, she tried to be friends, but how can someone as physical as Ray be a friend to someone who she is afraid to even shake hands with?

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything that has come out of the wonderful mind of Darren Shan. All I own are the OCs here and the little plot that has developed._**

Chapter 7: A Meeting With The Past

"Hey Darren, wanna come outside with us?" Ray asked, ginning at the sight of her friend with a pillow covering his face. She knew that Darren was going a bit crazy because of the city. It was only their second day there and she had a feeling that Darren was going crazy. She laughed at Darren's muffled response.

Ray sat on the bed next to, poking his arm. He growled a bit and she laughed again. "Just don't die under there, okay?" She hopped off the bed and sat beside Evra, who was planted in front of the TV. She looked at the screen and she blinked, her eyes going wide. "Oh…Oh my God, is that…is that NCIS?" She asked, staring at the screen. She screamed and Evra jumped away from her to dodge her flailing arms. "IT IS! OH MY GOD! I love this show! Evra! Shut up, I wanna watch this!"

Evra blinked. He hadn't even said anything…

"Come on, Ray. You can do it," Darren urged Ray on, nudging her. It was three days after the troop came to the city and Ray was sitting next to Evra on the bed and she was shaking a bit. Darren and Evra agreed to help Ray get over her fear of snakes. The first test was to have Ray touch Evra without freaking out.

Ray took a deep breath and she held her hand out. She repeated a mantra to herself in her head, reminding herself that Evra would not hurt her, and that he was just a boy, a human, her friend.

"_I don't like it when you're afraid of me."_

Ray cringed and she took a deep breath. She had always hated snakes after she was attacked by one when she was younger. They scared her, and she can sometimes just remember the pain of being bitten by one. But Evra wouldn't bite her, or hurt her. He has been nothing but kind and helpful to her.

Just like Sally…her old friend. The girl, who obviously had it made for herself with her rich family, had lend out a hand to her, a worthless, homeless girl with no future. If it wasn't for her, Ray would not be alive. She wouldn't have gained a new hope for herself. She would have never attended the Cirque Du Freak.

_**She would have never met Evra.**_

Ray confused herself. Why the thought of never meeting the snake-boy did strike her so hard? She took another deep breath. Evra was someone she loved, like a friend, like family. The whole Cirque was her family, and the thought of not being there hurt her.

She can almost feel the pain of losing her family again. The deep, terrible pain and loneliness…

"Hey…Ray?" Darren's voice cut through her thoughts and she stared at the vampire. Darren was just wonderful to her, though she had felt that her trust in him had dimmed just a bit after she was told that he had drank her blood. She knew Darren was sorry for it, and she understood why he had too, but Ray couldn't get the uncomfortable feeling to go away.

Ray felt a shock hit her, originating from her hand. She looked down at her hand and was shocked to see that her hand was rest comfortably in Evra's hand. He squeezed her hand lightly and she surprised herself by squeezing back.

"Well…that wasn't so bad…" Ray said softly. She felt the scales on her hand and she shuddered a bit. She laughed lightly, and took her hand from his, looking at the scales that stuck to her skin.

"We'll just have to take it one day at a time," said Evra, and Ray nodded in agreement, a huge smile on her face.

"I wonder where Mr. Crepsley goes every night," Ray said, pulling on a pair of snow boots. It was a week after they arrived at the city and Darren was finally getting used to the city. They had woken up that morning and were getting ready to go outside for once

Darren, clad in his usual pirate outfit, shrugged. "I don't think he'll tell us if we ask. Now, how are we going to work with him?" Darren pointed at Evra, who was dressed in layers. Ray nodded and she went to the snake-boy, handing him a pair of gloves.

Over the previous days, Darren and Evra tried to get Ray more used to touching him. So far, she was able to hold his hand and even his face lightly. Ray was happy with herself. She liked touching Evra; she was a very physical person, and she liked to have physical contact with the people she cared for.

"We need to find a way to cover this face of yours…" Ray pondered, staring at Evra, who stared back at her. Ray grabbed a baseball hat and placed it over his head. That covered his yellow-green hair. "Hm…" Ray thought, looking at Evra's pretty eyes. She reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of dark glasses, which covered most of the top part of his face.

"How are we going to cover the bottom half of his face?" Darren asked, standing beside Ray, looking over his friend. Ray grinned.

"I know."

"We must look like quite the trio," Evra said with a giggle as the troop strolled around a zoo. "You in your pirate costume," he nodded to Darren. "Me in this getup and a short harpy." "Fuck you." "People probably think that we're a couple of escaped crazies."

"The people at the hotel definitely do," Darren replied. "I heard the bellboys and maids talking about us- they think Mr. Crepsley is a mad doctor and we're three of his patients."

"Yeah?" Evra laughed. "Imagine if they knew the truth- that you're a couple of vampires and I'm a snake-boy! They probably think that Ray here is some kind of demon banshee with how she was yelling at the old woman for calling her short."

Ray snorted in response. "The old hag had it coming."

Darren laughed. "I don't think it would matter. Mr. Crepsley tips well and that's the important thing. 'Money buys privacy,' as I heard one of the manager say when a maid was complaining about a guy who'd been walking around naked in the corridors."

Diana cringed at the mental image as Evra exclaimed that he saw the naked man. "That's just disturbing. I wanted to gouge my eyes out when I saw that man." She shuddered. Ray gave Evra a small glare when he made a comment about humans being weirder than him and Evra. But then she had to agree, because non-weird people go around walking in their birthday suit.

The days went by and the city was growing colder and a lot more Christmas like. Christmas trees decorated the city along with lights and all the other things. Darren and Ray were excited about it. Evra…not so much. Mr. Crepsley even commented on it being a silly human custom, which prompted Ray to retort in a very colorful manner.

Ray missed Christmas dearly. She always celebrated by going to one of the Christmas trees in the park of her old home and singing a carol. After, in the dark of the night, she'd visit her parents' grave to wish them a Merry Christmas. It was very depressing.

Ray wished that she had the money to get Evra and Darren, even the leech a gift, but any money that Mr. Tall had given her, she saved it any jar. She learned the hard way about having absolutely nothing. She wanted to use the money for something important.

"Want to come shopping?" Darren had asked one day. He was dressed for the cold weather.

"Nah," Evra replied. "I don't feel like getting into heavy clothes again."

"Yeah. I'm still a bit tired after I owned both of your asses in the snowball fight earlier," Ray said, grinning. She was wrapped in a blanket on her bed, flipping through the channels on the TV.

"Okay. I won't be more than and hour or two." Darren said, looking a bit relieved that the two weren't coming. Darren left, and that left the two teens alone, once again.

Ray stopped flipping through the channels and left it on Court TV, automatically getting into it. "HE'S GUILTY!"

'We the jury find the defendant, guilty.'

"WOOO!" Ray jumped onto her feet on the bed, dancing wildly. Evra watched Ray dance around, laughing. The two continued to goof around, watching ridiculous reality TV shows and laughing at how stupid some of the people acted on the show.

Darren walked in the room later on, after Mr. Crepsley left without a word.

"He barely noticed you were gone," Evra answered Darren about Mr. Crepsley. "He's been acting weird lately."

Ray gave Evra a look. "Lately?"

"I know," Darren said, rolling his eyes at Ray. "I need a feed of human blood, but he hasn't mentioned it. Normally he's pretty fussy about making sure I feed on time."

"Are you going to feed without him?" Ray asked, wrapping herself in a blanket.

"Probably. I'll slip into one of the rooms late tonight and take some blood from a sleeping guest. I'll take a syringe."

And Darren did just that. Around two in the morning he went into a guest's room and took some of his blood. He came back with a syringe full and squeezed it into a glass and drank it. Ray covered her face when he did so. "That is so gross…"

"That'll keep me going," Darren said. "It'll get me through tomorrow anyway, and that's the most important thing."

"What's so special about tomorrow?" Evra asked. Darren then told the two of them about a girl named Debbie and their arrangement to go to the movies. Ray couldn't keep the grin off her face.

"You've got a date!" Evra laughed.

"It's not a date!" Darren snorted. "We're just going to the movies."

"_Just?" _Evra grinned. "There is no such thing as _just_ with girls." "He has a point, vampire." "It's a date."

"Okay, it's kind of a date. I'm not stupid. I know I can't get involved." Darren said.

"And why the hell not?" Ray demanded.

"Because she's a normal girl and I'm only half human," Darren answered.

"That shouldn't stop you from going out together. She won't be able to tell you're a vampire, not unless you start biting on her neck." Evra said.

"There can be another reason for him to start biting on her neck," Ray said with a perverted grin.

"Ha ha," Darren laughed dryly with a blush on his face. "It's not that. And definitely not _that_, Ray. In five years she'll be a grown woman, while I'll still be like this."

Evra shook his head. "Worry about the next five days," he advised, "not the next five years."

"Yeah Darren. You've been hanging around the walking leech for too long- you're getting as gloomy as he is. Cheer up emo kid." Ray dodged a pillow that was thrown at her.

"There is no reason for you not to date girls," Evra said, a bit annoyed as he chucked another pillow at Ray.

"I guess you're right…" Darren said.

"Of course I am."

"Assuming that it is a date," Darren said, biting his lip nervously, "what do I do? I've never been on a date before."

Evra shrugged. "Neither have I. But I guess you just act normal."

"Yeah," Ray said, "Just talk with her."

"Tell her a few jokes," Evra added.

"Treat her like you would treat a friend."

"And then…" Evra trailed off

"Then?" Darren asked when Evra stopped.

Evra puckered his lips. "Give her a kiss!" He laughed. Ray started to make kissy noises at Darren. Darren threw a pillow at them.

"I'm sorry I told you two," he grumbled.

After calming down, Evra told Darren to be sure that Mr. Crepsley does not know about the date with Debbie, worried that they will be sent to a new hotel or something. The day passed by, and Darren was a mess, announcing when another hour was passed. Ray wanted to punch him after a while. Darren was taking forever in the bathroom to make sure he was presentable and Ray had helped him with his hair.

"Calm down," Evra said finally. "You look great. I'm half tempted to go out with you myself."

Ray gaped at Evra. "And cheat on me? You heartless bastard!" Evra laughed with Ray. Darren would have laughed, if he had not remembered something.

"Oh um…I told Debbie that you were my brother, Evra. I also said that Ray was your girlfriend of two years."

The laughter stopped immediately, and the two just stared at Darren. They were blushing madly and they took one look at each other before their blushes brightened.

"What the hell, Shan?"

"I'm sorry! She asked me about you and I panicked!" Ray smacked her forehead with her hand and sighed.

"This isn't awkward at all…" she mumbled.

"But…how would you explain…" Evra asked.

"Explain what?"

"My looks," he said, rubbing a few scales on his arm, which made Ray shiver.

Realization finally dawned on Darren and he went on about how if Debbie can't handle how Evra is, then so what. Ray wasn't paying much attention. She was too busy picturing her and Evra going out on a date themselves. This made her smack herself on the face, earning two pairs of eyes to look at her in question.

Later that night, Mr. Crepsley woke up, looking haggard. He ate the food Darren had made him and left. The three watched TV for a while, with Darren wigging out about Debbie not coming. Ray punched his arm. "Chillax, man."

Soon, there was a knock on the door and Darren quickly got up to answer the door. Ray looked at Evra quickly then at Darren, who had the door open and was talking to the girl. Ray quickly moved closer to Evra, wanting them to look all girlfriend/boyfriend like. They were both sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed, watching the TV so it was simple.

Darren and Debbie walked into the room and at one look at the girl Darren liked, Ray shot up from her spot on the floor and stared at the girl with wide eyes. Debbie returned the look, with her mouth wide open in shock.

"Diana…?"

-End-

_**So...how the hell do Debbie and Diana know each other? I wonder....xD I already have the next chapter planned and trust me...you all are going to love it. :3**_

_**Please review!**_


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